A new global sports movement
Published: 18/11/2021
Creative entrepreneurs never know when their next great idea will bite. For Tuki Huck it was one evening in March 2020, when his wife told him about marathons cancelled by Covid.
Tuki thought, huh, more events disrupted by Covid. He knew how many events had already been canned. He’d worked for years as an event technician in Auckland and all his old mates were wondering when they’d be able to run an event again.
But it was what his wife said next that made Tuki’s ears prick up, and his entrepreneurial gears begin to spin. “Wouldn’t it be cool if there was some way for people to run marathons anytime and get their times recorded?”
That would be cool, thought Tuki. I wonder why no one has ever done that before. I wonder if I could do that? And so he did.
Welcome to a new way to race
Official Tracks is launching as a network of self-timed running tracks around the Queenstown region. The Official Tracks offer is simple. You buy an official timing chip online and pick it up from one of three stores in Queenstown.
The timing chip is powered by MyLap’s elite timing technology to give you a 100% accurate time. You can buy timing chips for a single run, or a season pass for regular runners.
Next you choose your run. Right now, Official Tracks offers 13 routes in and around Queenstown. But that’s only the beginning. Stay tuned for more tracks coming soon.
Once you’ve chosen your run, hop online and register your timing chip number, your name, and your running route on the Official Tracks app. There’s a QR code on your timing chip to make this easy.
Then you’re ready to hit the tracks. Pop on your timing chip, head to your chosen start gate and start running. Sensors in the gates at the start and end of your track record the duration of your run, and your time is logged online on the Official Tracks leaderboard.
The #1 choice for runners
Lots of runners use apps like Strava and Nike so what makes Official Tracks different?
Our founder Tuki explains, “Official Tracks technology isn’t the same as running apps. You don’t need to carry your phone and you’re using the same tech used to time elite athletes at the Olympics, so it’s far more accurate. Plus, you’re running an official route and your time is added to a leaderboard, so you can see how you stack up against other runners. With apps, it’s tough to compete and track progress.”
Official Tracks is a collaboration with MyLaps, the company that builds the tech that times all major sporting events, from the Olympics to famous marathons around the world. They recognised Tuki’s idea as the start of a new global sports movement that allows people to run iconic routes in their own time, yet still compete against the best of the best on the Official Tracks global leaderboard.
Tuki’s goal is to make Official Tracks super accurate, easy to use, and affordable. Tracks are clearly mapped online. Wayfinding markers on the ground will provide directions at intersections and turning points.
And you don’t need to be an experienced runner to enjoy Official Tracks. With runs in Queenstown from 2.5km to 36km, there’s something for everyone.
There are so many great ways to experience Official Tracks. Run with your dog, use the tech to run for a cause, get active for office team building, challenge your friends, or train for the Queenstown Marathon coming in March.